The schedule said it was an exhibition game, but for nearly 30 minutes, this game had the feel of a conference showdown.
The UCLA women’s basketball team kicked off their season with a 80-66 win over NAIA school Master’s College, but it was no easy task.
“We’re excited that the season is here, finally.” coach Nikki Caldwell said. “We did some good things, but at times the effort was not there. We were leaving out teammates out to dry.”
Caldwell is beginning her second season at the helm of the team, returning most of a squad that finished fourth in the Pac-10 a year ago. On Monday night, that squad looked rusty from the long offseason as they struggled to convert on easy offensive chances.
The first half was a sloppy affair as the Bruins and Mustangs traded misses, with UCLA failing to convert on several fast-break opportunities.
“I said that it can’t get any easier than layups,” Caldwell said. “You have to convert on those opportunities. There were times were four of them on the same page and one person broke down, or three people were playing [defense], but you need all five.”
With the offense slowed after two quick fouls by junior point guard Doreena Campbell, the UCLA defense helped maintain a slim advantage. The Bruins out-rebounded Master’s College 54-38, with the Bruin frontcourt limiting second chances for the Mustangs by dominating the boards.
The dominant rebounding was one of a few bright spots for the evening.
“At practice, coach stresses boxing out,” freshman forward Markel Walker said. “Once we realize that we need to be boxing out to help our offense, we should be good.”
With her team mired in offensive stagnancy, the task of pulling the Bruins out of their slump fell to senior Erica Tukiainen. Her long-range marksmanship helped the Bruins begin to pull away midway through the second half. The senior would finish the night with 16 points.
Master’s College cut the lead to as few as six, but Tukiainen’s 3-pointer put UCLA back up by 10 with just under four minutes to go, effectively putting the game out of reach. Tukiainen’s contribution of steady leadership was a welcome sight in a game filled with miscues ““ most notably 14 turnovers.
“Of course I need to hit that open shot,” Tukiainen said. “What I really need to focus more on is defense. All defense is about communication. If you get beat, I have your back. That’s what I want to bring as a leader.”
Despite the offensive woes, the UCLA defense played well. With the Mustangs settling for outside jumpers, UCLA sealed off the inside and limited easy buckets. Effective long-range shooting kept the Mustangs in the contest, but the Bruins out-muscled them to the finish.
“I just told them that if everybody had Williams’ intensity to guard the basketball, we would not be giving up threes and dribble-drives.” Caldwell said. “The one thing about effort is just making sure that they play all 40 minutes.”